Gearbox help pleeeeeeeease :)

[Veee-dubber]

Hello all.
I've asked this a few times and people weren't to sure but I thought I'd ask again in the hope someone new will see it or someone that didn't last time that can help, Hope you dont mind :)

Basically I've got some major gearbox issues; predomanantly in 5th gear, but also in 2nd.
The problems occurs when I am engine breaking where 2nd gear makes this awful rattling sound...
And as far as 5th gear is concerned, well its shot to bits, It makes a sharp gring or whirring noise when I release the clutch upon engaging 5th gear, It then grinds constantly when engine breaking but stops the moment I press the gas.
 
I took the car to my friends dads garage for a road test a while back and the mechanic thinks that 5th gear is actually rubbing up against something, Told me to bypass 5th completely, which I had been doing and have continued to do... He said that if it was his car he would carry on driving it that way as it could carry on forever and never fail completely, the other option being a new box which he would happily fit - looked into prices for this and with a recon box, DMF and clutch plus labour its gonna cost well over a K that I dont have :(

The car drives absolutely fine so I have just been bypassing 5th and driving the car as normal as it's only a slight rattle that occurs in 2nd gear, I do however want to get this issue sorted as I have or had big plans for this car!

The car is as we speak at a different garage (Dayspeed) its due its service & I've also asked that they have a look/listen to the problem with having a gearbox rebuild done in mind to fix the issue.... My overall question is whether or not this will be cheaper and if anyone can give a me any idea of a figure? - any help would be much appreciated 

[xjay1337]

Having blew the gearbox on my TDI let me tell you it's just cheaper and easier to buy a used gearbox from Ebay.
You don't need to change the clutch or flywheel especially if your existing one is fine.
I doubt you have a problem with 5th unless you're very unlucky and there is damage to the gearsets.

A replacement box would be the best idea and frankly if you can follow a haynes manual and have something to support the engine you can change it yourself on the driveway with some mates. 

[Veee-dubber]

hmmm Interesting, my only concern with forking a few hundred quid out for one of ebay is that you dont know its not buggered...?

anyone know where I can find my gearbox code, or what it is for my 54 plate TDI?

also, anyone know what the book time is for a change over?

I dont want much 

[Scottymon]

Recon box, yours in exchange as an option.

[xjay1337]

hmmm Interesting, my only concern with forking a few hundred quid out for one of ebay is that you dont know its not buggered...?

anyone know where I can find my gearbox code, or what it is for my 54 plate TDI?

also, anyone know what the book time is for a change over?

I dont want much 

It does not really matter.
If you buy through Ebay, most are from breakers yards. As part of Ebay you would be covered.
When I was in the position a in April, a gearbox was around £500 delivered. In the end I just went for the cheapest one and it was fine.
Normally in the TDI boxes (is yours a 1.9 or a 2.0?) the rivets let go that hold the diff in place and spit out through the casing.
In my case I had a pinion gear let go, no doubt caused by 365lb ft of torque being unleashed 10+ times in a row on the drag strip.

Anyway, 6 speed 2.0 TDI boxes are cheaper, weirdly.

If you have a 1.9 TDI then there are about 15 different gearbox codes, all of which would fit. Your gearbox code is on your gearbox, unsurpsingly? There is a little tab which has it etched on..


If it's a 5 speed it would PROBABLY (depending on year) be a GQQ or if it's a 1.9 6 speed, well I'm not sure, but I know the 6 speed Touran box (which does fit) is a GQN. But any gearbox code will fit as long as it's for the right vehicle.
The 5 speed boxes have better ratios for power IMO. I think the Golf 1.9 - 6 speed box is slightly longer gearing than the 6 speed from the Touran. But now I'm probably just confusing you.

Book time is about 5 hours
My gearbox was on and off my old car more often than a hooker on STI medication. Box had come out probably 5 or 6 times over the course of my ownership.
We did a clutch change (gearbox off, pressure plates undone and flywheel out, so slightly longer than a straight box swap) in 2 hours before.
Never has it taken more than 3 and a half, and that's going slowly dossing around.

[Veee-dubber]

Sweet sounds like a more positive outcome than I had initially thought...

Mines a 6 speed 140 mate... Where you based? Fancy doing a private job? haha 

[xjay1337]

That's odd.
Normally the 2.0 140 boxes are absolutely solid.

Those boxes are much cheaper, around £350 on Ebay as I was looking to do the 2.0 conversion.
I would be able to do it given the tools, but on my own car. I would not be comfortable doing it on someone elses car in exchange for money. However I know several good mechanics who would. ;)
I paid £120 for my mate to come to me and do it on my driveway. I also bought Pizzas.

Mates rates, a gearbox swap/clutch change is going to be between £75 and £150.
A decent indy would not charge more than £300.


The process to change a 6 speed box is the same, the slave cylinder is slightly different so might as well be replaced while you have the gearbox off.

I think the PD140 and PD170 boxes, while bolting up and what not are all going to work, have different ratios. So do some research, the 170 boxes have longer ratios so if you want to "upgrade" now might be the time to do it.